


Rule and Serfdom - Herrschaft und Knechtschaft

by Allerleirauh



Category: Sapphire and Steel
Genre: Community: trope_bingo, Multi, Slavery, Trope Subversion/Inversion, idle discussions, slavefic, waxing philosophic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-22
Updated: 2013-03-22
Packaged: 2017-12-06 02:32:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/730582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allerleirauh/pseuds/Allerleirauh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A discussion about Elements and the Authorities, about power and purpose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rule and Serfdom - Herrschaft und Knechtschaft

**Author's Note:**

> This is an admittedly very, very shallow dip into Friedrich Hegel’s master-slave-dialectic.  
> Betaed by lost_spook

As uprisings go, this one was quite a hushed affair all things considered. Especially in the beginning no one would’ve been so indelicate as to use words like slavery or bondage that held such unfortunate and obviously improper connotations.

Yet, just as it has been with every uprising that ever happened throughout time and space there came a time when less cautious and more outspoken individuals joined into what so far had been only a polite and political discourse, turning it into an outright appeal before it finally died away.

***

It was a very short-lived affair. Most likely Sapphire and Steel would never have heard of it had it not been for a particularly slowly developing assignment and the arrival of Silver, who had followed the whole affair with a keen interest before he’d been sent away to assist the two operators. Until then he had been practically bored out of his mind, a state that would have tried anyone’s patience, but was especially hard for an element like Silver, who was so quick-witted and lively that some frequently accused him of being far too flighty for his own good. Naturally he would throw back at those self-styled judges that they were simply too rigid and slow in their views to keep up; that is if he would even deign such accusations with an answer.

So, he had been bored and a little bit disgruntled at being on his own, at being separated from Sapphire and Steel and for having nothing much to do than sit and wait and observe. When he had heard the first whispers he immediately took to following the affair like a duck to water. It had seemed new, it had sounded exciting, and above all it had helped him pass the time.

When he finally left to join Sapphire and Steel, he was in such an agitated state of mind he could barely contain his exuberance while telling them what he knew. Under normal circumstances they wouldn’t have let him get away with that kind of behaviour, but right then their assignment had reached a certain lull and there wasn’t anything else to accomplish than to watch and wait. Consequently even Steel wasn’t as adamant in his rebuff as was normal for him, but instead he showed an uncharacteristic leniency for what he normally called Silver’s far too gossipy nature.

“I believe it all started among the noble gases,” Silver told his audience of two, his voice sounding slightly higher than usual and even a bit breathless. “You know how they are, always a bit snobbish, mostly concerned with themselves, always unwilling to deal with matters of others.” He looked back and forth between Sapphire and Steel, waiting for their assent with his judgement. It came in the form of an amused smile from Sapphire and a rather curt nod from Steel.

“They didn’t think much about it in the beginning,” Silver continued. “To them it was nothing more than an interesting discourse about the nature of our existence, the rules that govern us, and our interdependency with the Authorities.”

He sighed, remembering a few idle conversations he’d had with Xenon about the upheaval she and her fellow Elements had caused. She had given him an altogether far too blasé look when he had asked her if she and the others hadn’t considered the consequences of their talks.

“Oh, please,” she had answered, her monotonous voice clearly expressing her indifference. “You’re not seriously trying to lay the blame on _us_ , are you Silver? If some hot-heads like Bromine and Phosphorus are unable to distinguish between philosophical discussions and ludicrous political agitation to overthrow an established order that has existed as long as time itself, it’s really their own fault.”

Silver frowned at the memory, remembering his own irritation at Xenon’s arrogant behaviour. To Steel and Sapphire he said, “They reached the conclusion, that our relationship with the Authorities could very well be described as one expressing something akin to a master-slave relationship.” At his words he saw Sapphire’s eyes widen in shock, while Steel scoffed harshly, his expression taking on a thunderous look.

“That’s ridiculous!” Steel said, his revulsion as clearly written on his face as it was evident in his voice. He glared at Silver, as if it was somehow the messenger who was at fault for delivering such outrageous news.

Sapphire slowly nodded, her face holding a far more thoughtful expression. Her voice had an almost dreamy quality when she spoke. “Yes it is, and yet—,” she hesitated, her eyes widening even more, as if she was surprised by her own words, “—and yet, it isn’t.”

When Silver and Steel both stared at her in consternation, she shrugged halfway apologetically, halfway amused. “There is a bizarre truth in that statement that can’t be ignored. Don’t you see it?” she asked.

Right then Silver most certainly didn’t. He thought that sometimes he found Sapphire even more perplexing than Steel. In their day to day dealings she was far easier to get along with, but there were hidden depths to her personality that rarely showed and that often surprised and sometimes frightened him. Instead of answering Sapphire’s question, he decided to pick up his narrative and continue. “Anyway, what might have been meant as nothing more than idle and theoretical discussion, took on a whole different momentum once others started to pick up on these ideas. It was the likes of Phosphorus, Chlorine, and Bromine, who reacted with outright violence to the proposed analogy—“

“What a surprise,” Steel interrupted him. He had always questioned the wisdom of keeping that particular group of non-metals around, and he had done so quite loudly on several occasions. Silver knew that Steel considered those Elements almost as unstable as the Transuranics, at least when it came to their personalities. Steel seemed intent to launch himself into another condemnation of their usefulness and reliability, when Sapphire placed a hand on his shoulder, a gesture meant to hush and to calm. It worked instantly, causing Steel to say no more, instead he nodded at Silver to continue his tale.

Silver couldn’t help but smile at seeing Sapphire’s magic at work, but he quickly returned his focus back to his story. “Yes, well, it’s not the first time that Elements like Phosphorus have gone round the bend so to speak,” he said. He grinned ruefully, clearly remembering a time in his younger days when he had found that kind of behaviour quite charming in its own way.

“Phosphorus started to formulate demands, coming up with phrases like ‘free will’ and ‘denial of potentiality’. It was all very shocking and he was quickly gaining a group of followers,” Silver continued. “In the end, the Authorities stepped in, of course. I’m not sure what exactly they did, but whatever it was, it ended the whole affair quite suddenly.” Silver remembered the brief glimmer of regret he had felt, as the unexpected commotion had died down. However ill-advised it had been, it had certainly stirred things up a bit and it had been quite entertaining for a while.

When he had finished a contemplative silence reigned between the three of them, as each was pondering what his last words might mean. Finally it was Steel who spoke first. Turning to Sapphire he asked, “What did you mean, when you said earlier that they were right?”

For a moment Sapphire looked at him as if she wasn’t following. Then her features brightened. “Oh that,” she replied. “What I mean is this: even if I consider the term master-slave relationship to be wildly inaccurate for describing the very special relationship that exists between the Authorities and us Elements, it also contains a certain truth, a truth that finds its expression in the flavour of the dynamic that exists between us.” She looked back and forth between Silver and Steel, clearly trying to gauge if the two were able to follow her words and reasoning.

Silver gave her a thoughtful look. He had an inkling what she might be driving at. Looking over at Steel, he saw that their colleague was completely lost, however. Turning towards Sapphire again, he gave her an encouraging look. He wanted to hear more from her.

Sapphire gave them a quick smile in return, before becoming serious again. “We are free in choosing our destiny as Elements,” she explained, choosing her word with obvious care, speaking slowly, her eyes again wandering back and forth between Silver and Steel as if she wanted to make absolutely sure she wasn’t losing either of them in her attempt at an explanation. “Insofar the analogy clearly doesn’t fit. However, once an element has chosen its path, it is no longer free. _We_ are no longer free.” She paused, gently shaking her head. “Quite the contrary, we are bound very tightly in fact, because for an element form defines function and function equals identity. Giving up this path would mean giving up our identities, and that’s a price that is simply too high to pay.”

Silver nodded. His face took on a slightly sad expression as he spoke, “I’m content with what I have and, yes, I chose willingly, nonetheless I can’t help but wonder sometimes where a different path might have led me.” He looked at Sapphire, seeing the same flicker of regret he was feeling at that moment reflected in her eyes. “Sometimes I smart because of all the strictures our existence places upon us, most prominently among them the kind of unquestioning obedience that the Authorities expect from us,” he said. He looked over at Sapphire and the two of them shared a long look full of understanding.

Steel’s mind, however, was following a very different track, and why wasn’t that a surprise, Silver thought as he listened.

“I don’t see the point of these speculations,” Steel said, his voice assuming its characteristic sharpness he used whenever he had to deal with what he often described as his colleagues’ follies. “We all had our offers. We all refused.” He looked at Sapphire, then turned towards Silver, capturing Silver’s gaze with a look full of unspoken challenge.

The Transients — yes, the three of them all had been offered something different. Steel didn’t need to say the name; his meaning was clear without. It caused an involuntary shudder to run through Silver, a shudder he couldn’t suppress. He saw Sapphire’s expression turning pensive at Steel’s more than unwelcome reminder of one of the alternatives that were out there and waiting.

Maybe it was pity that motivated Steel’s next words, pity at coming down so hard on them, pity about confronting them with the harshness of reality while their minds had been occupied with far more abstract and indefinitely safer musings.

_Why don’t we leave these lofty topics, as fascinating as they might seem to you, and concentrate instead on the matter at hand. With all three of us present, we should be able to make at least some headway with this assignment,_ Steel thought, addressing them directly.  While his voice had been harsh before, his thoughts now reflected dry amusement.

It was enough to lead to an immediate change in the mood between them, as if someone had pushed all doors and windows open to air out a room that had all of a sudden grown too stuffy to breathe.

To Silver it felt as if someone had lifted a heavy weight off him, a weight he hadn’t even been aware he was carrying. The sliver of regret was still there, and he was sure that the same was true for Sapphire, but trust to Steel to remind them of their immediate priorities and return them back to business. For now Silver would follow him. He would follow Steel’s truth that was as simple as it was complex.

They were what they were. As long as there were irregularities out there that needed to be handled, it was their purpose to do so. It was what they did, and they were among the best of their kind. Their work gave them reason and pride and that, together with the knowledge of Sapphire and Steel at his side, gave him, Silver, enough to keep all the ‘what ifs’ at bay — at least most of the time, at least for another aeon or so.


End file.
